Transfer device for knitting machines



March 15, 1932. F. DOST 1,849,07?

TRANSFER DEVICE FOR KNITTINGMACHINES Filed Oct. 25. 1929 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar'. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT lOFFICE FRED DOST, OFFREEPORT, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT REINER ING., OF

WEEHAWKEN,

NEW JERSEY Application led October 25, 1929. Serial No. 402,355.

In stocking knitting machines asis well known, it is customary to have aplurality of needle bars arranged in a bank and to lknit thecorresponding number of stockings simultaneously. In case, however, thatvthe thread fed to one of said stocking webs breaks during the knittingprocess, the said web strips itself from its needle bar and it isnecessary to stop the entire machine and remount the web on said needlebar. In view of the fact that there are a great number of needles toeach bar and also that each stitch of the web must be mounted on one ofsaid needles, considerable time is consumed and as a result the speed ofproduction is greatly curtailed.

One object of the present invention is to provide means which may beemployed in conjunction with existing machines whereby curtailedproduction due to the above indicated cause will be eliminated.

A further object is to provide a device which may readily be attacheddirectly to existing machines. y

Another object is to provide a device which is simply constructedA andwhich may be manufactured at low cost. i

Still another object is to provide a device which may be adjustable tosuit the convenience of the particular operator.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thenovel construction,` combination and arrangement of elements as willhereinafter be more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawingsand claimed in the appended claims.

In thel drawings which form part ofotliis specification and in whichsimilar reference characters denote corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device; Fig. 2 is a top plan viewthereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail along line 3-3 of Fig. 1 seen inthe direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a section along line 4-4 of Fig.2 also seen in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a view of adetail of my device. In the drawings 10 denotes a base to which i'sremovably attached an upright 11. There are two suchbases and uprights,one for each end of my device. Adjustably mounted on each of saiduprights, as by means of a set screw 12 is a supporting frame 13.Projecting from the frontv edges ofsaid frames are a plurality offingers 13 which may be integrally formed therewith and which are for apurpose hereinafter specified. A joining memberl or cross bar 14 whichmay be suitably 'fixed in openings 132 in said frame as by means of setscrewsl serves to space said frames from each other. Provided on theupper ends of said frames 13 may be pedestals 16 to which may be mountedthe supports 17 on which are mounted the operating elementsof my device.The said supports may be rigidly joined as by means of a cross rod orbar 18.01` the like. Mounted across the top of said supports 17 is aneedle bed 19. On said bed lies a strip 20 provided with a plurality ofparallelly arranged notches 20 in which needles 21 are adapted to lie.Mounted over said strip and adapted to clamp said needles in place are aplurality of clamping blocks 22 which may be bolted to the needle bed 19by suitable boltsl22. By providing a plurality of said blocks, if one ofthe needles 21 breaks it is merely necessary to remove the clampingblock under which the said needle lies without disturbing the greaterpart of the clamped needles. Each of the needles 21 project forwardlyfrom the needle bed towards the front of the supports 17, and isprovided with a longitudinal g'rove 21 for a purpose hereinafter speci-Pivotally mounted between the supports 17 as for instance at 23 is aU-shaped support 24 y across the upperrends which isgmounted a rake-likemember 25 the tines 25 of which are adapted to project upwardly betweenthe parallelly mounted needles 21.

Normally the support 24 is 'adapted to rest in the position shown inFig. 4 so that the rake-like member 25 abuts the front edge of theneedle bed 19. In order to rotate said support forwardly and cause saidtines 25 to move forwardly towards the pointsof said needles 21 anoperating handle 26 may be connected to said rake-like member 25 as at27 and curved downwardly and around to the rear of said needle bed 19.By pulling said handle forwardly the tines are thereby also caused tomove forwardly." An adjustable stop screw 28 which is adapted to come incontact with the rear edge of said needle bed j 19 may be mounted in thehandle `26 for limiting th-e forward movement of the tines 25.

Pivotally mounted to each of the supports 17 as at 29 is a needle barsupport 29 which has a slot 292 near the front edge of the up- -per facethereof. A cross bar 30 suitably ldimensioned to receive therein thefree ends of said needle bar 31 wherebv the needles 31 will registerwith needles 21.1there being a corresponding' one of the latter needlesfor each of the former ones. and the points of said needles 31 areadapted to lie in the slots 21 of said needles 21. To permit rapidmounting of said needle bar 31 in position whereby the registration ofthe needles as above described occurs. I mav provide in one of the slots292. an adiustable stop 32 which mav be so positioned in said slotwhereby if an end 313 of the needle `bar 31 abuts the same. the saidneedles 31 will register with needles 21. l In operation my device isemployed as folows When the thread breaks on one of the webs beingknitted on the knitting machine. the web strips itself from the needlesof said machine as nreviouslv described. InsteadA of stopping themachine however` the said web is removed and the stitches thereofmounted on the needles 21 of mv transferring device. Then a needle bar31 which for instance may be carried on the racks formed b v theprojections 13 on mv device` is placed in position in slots 29 and thehandle 26 is pulled forwardlv ,causing the tines 25 to push the stitchesfrom needles 21 onto .needles 31. Then the knitting machine ismomentarily stopped and the stripped needles of the machine laid out andthe needles 31 vof needle bar 31 caused to register withI the saidmachine needles and the stitches of said web transferred to the latter.Then the machine is s shaped to lit onto the knitting machine bed .sothat my device may be conveniently 1ocated for the operator and likewiseby means .65. for instance of set screws 10 and l2 the height of mydevice may be varied to suit the particular operator.

My device may be modified in many ways without departing from the spiritof my invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details shown anddescribed.

`lhat I claim is L- 1. A device for knitting machines, comprising twobases having vertically extending uprights, a supporting frame mountedto each upright each having fingers projecting from the front edgesthereof, a joining member extending between vsaid frames and spacing thelatter from each other, supports mounted on each of said frames, ajoining member extending between said supports, a needle bed mountedacross the top o f said supports, means on said bed for parallellymounting a plurality of needles, the said needles when mounted beingadapted to project forwardly from said needle bed towards the front ofsaid supports, a support pivotally mounted between said first namedsupports having a rake-like member mounted across its upper e'nd, thetines `of said member projecting upwardly between said parallely mountedneedles, a needle bar support Vpivotally mounted to said first namedsupports, means on said needle bar support for facilitating rapidmounting of said needle bar in positionV whereby the needles thereonregister with those on said needle bed, and means for moving saidpivotally mounted rake-like member whereby the tines thereof willtransfer stitches held on said needle bed needles to said needle barneedles.

2. A device for knitting machines comprising a base, a verticallyadjustable support mounted on said base, a needle bed mounted on saidsupport, means for parallelly mounting in spaced relationship aplurality of needles on said bed, a frame pivotallv mounted to saidsupport on which a needle bar may be removably laid, means on said framefor obtaining registry of said needle bar needles with the needles onsaid bed, a rake-like member pivotally mounted to said support, thetines of said member eX- tending upwardly into the spaces betweenneedles on said bed and means for moving said pivotally supportedrake-like member whereby the tines thereof may transfer stitches fromsaid needle bed needles to said needle bar needles.

3. A devicefor knitting machines comprising spaced bases each havingvertically eX- tending uprights. a supporting frame mounted on eachupright, supports mounted on each of said frames, a needle bed mountedacross the top of said supports, means on said bed for parallellymounting a plurality of needles, the said needles when so mounted,

projecting forwardly towards the front of said supports, a rake-likemember extending between and pivotally mounted to said supports, thetines of said member extending respectively between said parallellymounted needles, a needle bar support pivotally mounted to saidsupports, means on said nee- 5 dle bar support for readily securingregistry of said needle bar needles with said needle bed needles andmeans for moving said pivotally mounted rake-like member whereby thetines thereof will transfer stitches held on lo said needle bed needlesto said needle bar l needles.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

FRED DGST.

